Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Veterans’ Welfare 2023-03-13 (2)

Monday 13 March 2023 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Ministry of Defence is investing over 40 million to digitise old paper-based practices.
  • Final report of the review will be delivered within a few weeks.
  • Service digitisation aims to make the system easier for veterans to use.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Angela Eagle Lab Wallasey
Veterans
Context

Veterans have reported difficulties in accessing support services, including financial compensation.

Question

What recent steps has Veterans UK taken to support veterans and their families. The Ministry of Defence is investing over £40 million in digitising old paper-based practices. Will this make a significant difference?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

The Ministry of Defence is investing over £40 million to digitise old paper-based practices, improving processes and creating a single entry point for pensions and compensation by the end of 2024. A new digital claims service has been launched making it easier for veterans to process their claims.

Answered
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Q2 Alex Norris Labour (Co-op) Nottingham North and Kimberley
Veterans
Context

A review on the armed forces compensation scheme found that processes are burdensome and distressing for claimants, with a fall in successful claims from 66% to 47%. The final report is expected soon.

Question

Can the Minister confirm when the review will report and what he thinks about the findings of a falling success rate in compensation claims?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

The final report will be delivered within a few weeks. The Minister is concerned about reports of poor service but notes there were 122 complaints versus 1,715 thank you letters.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific response to the success rate and timeline for Government's response

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Q3 Angela Eagle Lab Wallasey
Veterans
Context

Veterans and their families have had difficulty engaging with the quinquennial review of the armed forces compensation scheme. The system is reportedly slow, difficult to engage with, and not user-friendly.

Question

When will the Minister publish the review's findings? How will he make the system easier for veterans to use?

Answer from Andrew Murrison

The service is being digitised to bring it into the 21st century. The proportion of cases going to tribunal has been falling since 2014-15, indicating improvements in the service.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific measures for making the system easier for veterans to engage with

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